It's inevitable. At one point or another, we all find ourselves in this dreaded place. Diet bottom is the feeling of "I just can't go on one more diet!" This is the point where we become obsessed with food and our bodies more than ever before. Feeling uncomfortable in your body, wanting to lose weight, yet still cannot bear the thought of one more diet? Dieting is sort of like a Chinese finger puzzle. The harder you try, the more trapped you become.
This is because dieting does not work! Dieting is what has caused the madness in our culture of pursuing thinness and this unattainable idealistic body at all costs. Studies have proven that dieting is linked to weight gain, obsession with food, and eating disorders. The backlash is overwhelming and causes a myriad of new problems.
Some of these "symptoms" of diet backlash include:
*Urges and cravings for foods denied to self
*Binge eating and guilt
*Feeling as though you do not deserve to eat because you are overweight
*Shortened dieting duration. Each new diet you attempt has a shorter and shorter lifespan.
*Social withdrawal
*Sluggish metabolism
*Using caffeine to get through the day instead of obtaining the energy needed through food.
*And the holy grail of dieting backlash...Last Supper eating. This is a phenomenon where overeating occurs at mealtimes as your body's response to the inadequate amount of food eaten throughout the day. It is as if every meal is your last, and eating until your are uncomfortably full occurs. Every meal becomes famine relief. This tends to occur more often with our "forbidden foods."
Dieting does not work, and is actually at the root of many problems. Whether we diet for health or weight reasons, the paradox is that it may cause more harm. This is because dieting is a form of short term starvation. Therefore, when given the opportunity to eat, eating is experienced with such intensity that it can feel out of control. While this out of control eating may feel unnatural, this is actually a normal respnse to starvation (AKA dieting). Yet, when this happens, the dieter is usually blamed by others or themselves has having "no willpower." Ever thought that about yourself? Do you see how this slowly erodes trust with food and self diet after diet? Breaking this cycle begins with the first principle of Intuitive Eating, Reject the Diet Mentality. More will be discussed on this topic in future posts.
The solution to the madness of dieting is Intuitive Eating. It provides a new way of eating that is ultimately struggle-free and is healthy for both your mind and body. This process frees us from the prison of dieting and gets us back in touch with our bodies. Because, ultimately, only YOU can be the expert of your own body. I believe it's high time we return to the natural Intuitive Eater we were all born to be, and once and for all cultivate a healthy relationship with food, our minds, and bodies!